Take peace knowing that you're represented before God by Christ. Hebrews 5:1-10 (NIV) Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” 6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” 7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 21: The Atonement We believe that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek— made such by an oath— and that he presented himself in our name before his Father, to appease his wrath with full satisfaction by offering himself on the tree of the cross and pouring out his precious blood for the cleansing of our sins, as the prophets had predicted. Summary In the Old Testament, the priests offered gifts and sacrifices for sins to God on behalf of the people of God. These men were called by God to serve in this office. It was not anything that any of them deserved or could work toward; they were called by God to the office of priest. God called these men to serve in this office on behalf of the people. The people could not make these sacrifices on their own. The people would bring a bull, lamb, goat, doves, or pigeons to the priest, who would take them to the altar and sacrifice them on behalf of the people. At times, the priests would have to bring their own sin offering, and sacrifice it because of their own sin. This was done to atone for the sin committed, and they would be forgiven (Lev 4:35). Dig Deeper The various offerings talked about at the beginning of the book of Leviticus were practiced on a regular basis by the people of God. They would bring the required animal(s) to the priest who would offer it to God on their behalf. Why don’t we do that anymore? We will spend time answering that question this week. The first piece of that answer is that we believe Jesus Christ is a high priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. Jesus was appointed to this office by God, the Father. It is not something he sought out; he was sent by God to be the high priest we needed. Just like the Israelites could not offer sacrifices on their own behalf - they needed the priest to do it for them - you cannot do anything about your own sin. You cannot get rid of your own sin. It is impossible to wash off, make up for, or gotten rid of on your own. As the people of God, we need someone to make atonement for our sins. We need a high priest. God sent Jesus to be the high priest. Jesus was designated by God to be the high priest needed to offer the great sacrifice that would atone for our sins. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who called His Son to be our priest; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that your sin has been atoned for by Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philippians 3

Jesus suffered so that you would be healed and follow in His steps. 1 Peter 2:21-25 (NIV) 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” a but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 20: The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ We believe that God— who is perfectly merciful and also very just— sent his Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death. So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life. Summary You were called to follow Jesus because He first suffered for you. Peter quotes the famous Messianic passage Isaiah 53 to once again reiterate that Jesus committed no sin nor spoke deceitfully. So often, our interpersonal relationships are based on the principle of lex talionis, that famous doctrine which we summarize by saying 'an eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth.' We treat people according to the way they've treated us. But Jesus was so different. There was no retaliation to the insults hurled at Him, no threats in response to the suffering inflicted on Him. Imagine how different our daily lives, political discourse and international diplomacy would be if we all acted like Jesus! But the external insults, threats and physical suffering Jesus endured was nothing compared to agony He endured bearing our sins. If it's true He didn't deserve the insults hurled at Him, the flogging He endured, or the nails driven into His hands and feet, how much more did He who "committed no sin" not deserve to have every single one of our sins cast upon Him! Peter quotes Isaiah one more time in declaring the purpose for Jesus bearing your sin: "By His wounds you have been healed." In other words, Peter writes, because Christ paid for your sins, you've been returned to the Shepherd who left the flock to come looking for you. Dig Deeper Yesterday we learned about ἵνα (hina) clauses, which are most often translated with the English words "so that," and how you should circle them each time you see one in your Bible. They give practical application to the doctrines the Bible calls us to believe. There are two hina clauses in today's passage, with the first one in the opening verse. "Christ suffered for you, leaving you and example, so that you should follow in His steps." What Peter is saying here is that knowing that Christ went through so much to gain your salvation must elicit more than just an emotional response. You must follow Him, and live as He lived. The second hina clause takes things a step further: not just must you live as Jesus lived, you must die as well! Peter writes, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” Certainly this doesn't mean that you must be flogged and nailed to a cross, but rather that each day you must 'put to death' (to use Paul's language) the sin you're so attracted to. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll follow in Jesus' steps, and die to sin and live for righteousness; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philippians 2

The Bible doesn't just tell us what God did, it tells us why He did it. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 20: The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ We believe that God— who is perfectly merciful and also very just— sent his Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death. So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life. Summary When we think of the creative aspect of God, we properly think of the wonderful and amazing phenomenon He's created throughout the universe, like magnificent mountains, beautiful lakes, and even mysterious galaxies far, far away. But our short passage today begins with a surprising addition to what God has created: "God made Him who had no sin to be sin..." Certainly the efforts and work of Jesus Himself was a critically necessary component of your salvation, but little clues like today's - that God made - helps remind that salvation required the participation of all three persons in the Trinity! Today's verse also reveals that which makes Jesus different than any other human being born after Adam: Jesus "had no sin." The ESV translates that phrase more literally: Jesus "knew no sin." This doesn't mean Jesus was ignorant of the concept of sin, but rather that He had never personally experienced it, until God made Him the very face of sin so that Jesus could experience God's justice and you could experience His mercy. We often reflect on how difficult it must have been for Jesus to be forsaken by His Father as He hung suffering on the cross. But with today's verse in mind we can expand upon that thought: what must it have been like for God the Father to take His one and only Son, and make Him into the one thing He hates and cannot tolerate, to the extent that He ultimately had to forsake Him? This is a picture of God's love, justice and mercy at work. Dig Deeper They're called ἵνα (hina) clauses, and you should circle them each time you see one in your Bible. They most often are introduced with the English words so that. They go on to explain the reasons and rationale as to why something happened. In other words, God doesn't just tell us what He did, He often tells us why He did it. Today's passage informs us that God made Christ to be sin for us. If that's all it told us, certainly we'd still be grateful for it. But as is so often the case, the Bible goes on to explain not just the what, but also why God did this: SO THAT in Him we might become (be made into) the righteousness of God. We just read yesterday that the one thing you need more than anything else - the holy grail, so to speak - is perfect righteousness. This is the requirement God has set for you in order to fulfill the covenant that He's placed you in. In order to enjoy the covenant's reward (eternal life), you must return the covenant's obligation: perfect righteousness. This is why our all-powerful creator God made His Son, who had no sin, to be sin; SO THAT you might become the perfect righteousness of God you need to fulfill the covenant and enjoy its eternal blessings. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who created all things, and made His only beloved Son into sin on our behalf; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll live in such a way that demonstrates the righteousness of God you've become; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philippians 1

You need one thing more than anything else. Find it here. Romans 3:21-26 (NIV) 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 20: The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ We believe that God— who is perfectly merciful and also very just— sent his Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death. So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life. Summary It would be tough to count how many sacrifices are presented to God throughout the course of the Bible. There are at least twenty specific sacrifices mentioned, starting with Cain & Abel's in the garden, and including ones from other key characters in the Bible, such as Abraham, Moses and David. I'll admit I thought that number would be higher, but when coupled with the nearly constant flow of sacrificial blood in the temple, the number skyrockets. But here in Romans 3, we read of a much different sacrifice. This is the sacrifice God presented, which was a sacrifice of atonement - a word that quite simply means payment. So in a very real sense, God presented this sacrifice to Himself; He paid Himself the debt that your sins accrued. The daily sacrifices in the Tabernacle and Temple were extremely bloody affairs. But they had to be, since they symbolized the payment for sins. As Hebrews 9:22 puts it, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. God had made clear in His original covenant with Adam (who represented you) that death would result from sin, and since blood represents life, all of those Old Testament sacrifices involved gallons of blood being poured out each day. But Hebrews goes on to report that "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Heb. 10:4)." God needed to shed blood in the sacrifice He presented, but it had to be something more substantial than a beast. And so "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood." Dig Deeper The Holy Grail - supposedly the cup Jesus used during the Last Supper - has been the quest for intrepid explorers and imaginative screenwriters for centuries. If only a person could find that cup and drink from it, he would become immortal. Or so the legend goes. But you don't need a cup. What you need, more than anything else in all of creation, is perfect righteousness. This is what God demands in His covenant with us, and this will be the very first thing He asks of you as you stand before Him: Do you have the perfect righteousness required to attain eternal life? Since you don't have this required righteousness on your own, v21 ought to really grab your attention: "The righteousness of God" - the one thing you need so badly - "has been made known." This righteousness, which has infinitely more power than a lousy cup, is not something that you need to seek or fight battles to attain. Rather, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." You likely have all sorts of problems and worries that you've set aside for just a few minutes as you read God's Word, and those problems will be right where you left them when your finished. But take a moment to give thanks that you've attained the Holy Grail - that is, the perfect righteousness of God that gives you the right to eternal life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who demonstrated His justice against His Son so that He could demonstrate His mercy to you; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you return to the problems and worries of life, you'll remember that you have attained by faith the most valuable thing possible: eternal life in Christ Jesus. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 6

Jesus became like us so that you could be like Him. Isaiah 53:1-6 (NIV) Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 20: The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ We believe that God— who is perfectly merciful and also very just— sent his Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death. So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life. Summary We often properly acknowledge that God reveals Himself - His control, authority and presence - through nature. The 19th Psalm tells us that "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." But creation, as grand as it is, only begins to scratch the surface of God's identity. If you truly want to witness "the [powerful] arm of the LORD," you need to look to Christ, who is prophesied of here in this famous passage from Isaiah. Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, describes the two parties of the Covenant: the LORD and man, and also the mediator who brought us peace (v5). Isaiah uses harsh language in reporting the LORD's actions: He punishes, strikes and afflicts. This isn't just because He's mean or vindictive, but because these are things that a good and holy God MUST do in response to wickedness and sin. But that's exactly what we bring to the table: transgressions and iniquities. Isaiah describes us as sheep who've wandered off, with each of us going our own way. The pain and suffering we experience is of our own doing (although there's usually not a 1:1 ratio of pain & suffering compared to a person's sin. Some people sin greatly, but don't seem to endure much pain, and others sin comparatively little but suffer immensely). Isaiah here gets at the very heart of the gospel hundreds of years before the Messiah would actually come in the flesh, speaking in the past tense, as if Christ's work was already accomplished. He took up our pain and bore our suffering; He was pierced for our transgressions, because the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Dig Deeper Clearly Isaiah 53 as a whole is all about the person and work of the Messiah, Jesus. But in these three verses we've keyed in on today, the focus is all on us: He took up our pain and our suffering; We considered him punished by God; He was pierced and crushed for our transgressions and iniquities; The punishment that was on him brought us peace and by his wounds we are healed; We all have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. As you're reminded of your part in this grand drama, is there anything that you're proud of? Is there anything in that list that's worthy of God's love and salvation? Yet Christ became like us so that we might become like Him. Often times when we pray it quickly turns into a gripe session or a quick listing of all our particular needs at the moment for God to fulfill. But let Isaiah remind you that in order for you to experience the overflowing mercy of God, it was necessary for Jesus "to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is perfectly merciful and also very just— ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the humility required to truly enjoy the peace that Jesus earned for us; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 5

Push back on your tendency to make God something He's not. Psalm 5:1–7 (NIV) For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David. 1 Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. 2 Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. 4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; 6 you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. 7 But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 20: The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ We believe that God— who is perfectly merciful and also very just— sent his Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death. So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life. Summary David throws our Triple-A prayer pattern right out the window. We follow the pattern set by Jesus when He teaches how to pray through what's come to be known as the Lord's Prayer. He begins by Acknowledging who God is: Our Father, in heaven, who is holy. Next He Aligns our lives with God's will: May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and lead us not into temptation. It's not until these first two steps have oriented the person praying towards God that he can Ask for what he needs. But this model isn't set in stone. So many Biblical prayers follow it, but not all of them. David here begins his prayer with a demand: Listen to my words & consider my lament! What an insight we're given here on the relationship you have with your Father, that you can boldly approach His throne of grace without even knocking on the door, so to speak! Yet one thing your prayers - and not just our prayers, but every aspect of your life - must have is a respect for the tension that defines God's character. Tension here doesn't mean that God exists in stress, but rather that there are aspects of Him that seem mutually exclusive to us. David does go on to Acknowledge who God is in this prayer: God hates all who do wrong, and with Him, evil people are not welcome (v4-5). But paradoxically, David, like us, can come into God's house by His great love (his ḥěʹ·sěḏ = covenant faithfulness). That's a tremendous example of the tension present in God's character: the God who hates evil is the same God who defines love! (Also, for the record, David goes on in Psalm 5 to Align his life with God's will in a big way as well. So technically Psalm 5 is a AAA prayer!) Dig Deeper Maybe you thought you clicked on the wrong post as you read the portion of our Confession today, because it seems really familiar. That's because we keep reading the very same words as we work through our Confession: God is both merciful and just at the same time. It's interesting to see that even 463 years ago when the Belgic Confession was written, this concept of God's simultaneous mercy and justice needed to be repeated often. The more things change, the more they stay the same! Our human nature wants to understand God as being one way or the other: either merciful or just, but not both. Some people view God as nothing but a wrath filled ogre, who delights in smiting sinners just like it says in v6: God "destroys those who tell lies." Other people want to cling only to God's mercy, thinking that somehow the mean and vengeful God of justice we read about in the Old Testament has been replaced with the kind and forgiving Father we meet in the New Testament who doesn't seem to get too riled up about our sin. So you can see that it's so critically important for you to hold on tightly to God's paradoxical nature - He is both just and merciful - that along with the rest of the Reformed church, you need lots of regular reminders. As we'll see for the remainder of this week, the reason God can be both is because justice has been met in Christ so that He can pour His mercy out on you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who hates those who do wrong but shows ḥěʹ·sěḏ love to His people. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in a way that's metaphorically bowed down in reverence towards God's holy temple (v7); ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 4

You are free in Christ because He is fully God & fully man. Romans 8:1-4 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 19: The Two Natures of Christ We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined together with human nature, in such a way that there are not two Sons of God, nor two persons, but two natures united in a single person, with each nature retaining its own distinct properties. Thus his divine nature has always remained uncreated, without beginning of days or end of life, filling heaven and earth. His human nature has not lost its properties but continues to have those of a creature— it has a beginning of days; it is of a finite nature and retains all that belongs to a real body. And even though he, by his resurrection, gave it immortality, that nonetheless did not change the reality of his human nature; for our salvation and resurrection depend also on the reality of his body. But these two natures are so united together in one person that they are not even separated by his death. So then, what he committed to his Father when he died was a real human spirit which left his body. But meanwhile his divine nature remained united with his human nature even when he was lying in the grave; and his deity never ceased to be in him, just as it was in him when he was a little child, though for a while it did not show itself as such. These are the reasons why we confess him to be true God and true man— true God in order to conquer death by his power, and true man that he might die for us in the weakness of his flesh. Summary In Romans chapter 8 we see the importance of the dual natures of Christ. In the previous chapters, Paul has spoken at length on sin and the law. In chapter 7, Paul speaks to how despite his desire to uphold God’s law, which is good and holy, he finds his flesh still serves sin. Despite our ongoing battle with sin, Paul reminds us in the opening verses of Romans 8 that our eternity is secure in Christ. Paul refers to what he calls the “law of the Spirit of life” as well as “the law of sin and death”. Neither of these are the same as God’s law. The law of the Spirit of life is speaking of God’s power, while the law of sin and death is the power of sin. Another way to understand this is that through Christ Jesus, the power of God has set us free from the power of sin. Dig Deeper Verse 3 speaks of God “sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh”. Through the incarnation, the Son took on flesh, which is a human nature. Notice how verse 3 uses the word “likeness”. The Son took on flesh, much like the flesh of mankind, except that he alone is without sin. Through Jesus, God has done what the law could not, which is to set us free. This is no fault of the law of God, the fault lies solely with mankind. Paul described this as “the law, weakened by flesh”. The law is good and holy; however, a sinful humanity is unable to keep God’s law. Because Jesus is both fully human and fully God, he was able to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. Our sin is a trespass against the law of God, one that requires condemnation. Because Jesus has a human nature, yet has not been corrupted by sin, at the crucifixion sin was condemned in the flesh. What this has done is invalidate any claim that sin may have on you. The law has been fulfilled and the power of sin is broken. If your faith is in Jesus Christ for salvation, there is no condemnation. Your enslavement to sin has ended and the Holy Spirit empowers you to do God's will. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who did for us what the law was powerless to do; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 3

Jesus is both God and man, so He stands for you before God. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV) 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. Easily memorize this verse with this catchy song: Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 19: The Two Natures of Christ We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined together with human nature, in such a way that there are not two Sons of God, nor two persons, but two natures united in a single person, with each nature retaining its own distinct properties. Thus his divine nature has always remained uncreated, without beginning of days or end of life, filling heaven and earth. His human nature has not lost its properties but continues to have those of a creature— it has a beginning of days; it is of a finite nature and retains all that belongs to a real body. And even though he, by his resurrection, gave it immortality, that nonetheless did not change the reality of his human nature; for our salvation and resurrection depend also on the reality of his body. But these two natures are so united together in one person that they are not even separated by his death. So then, what he committed to his Father when he died was a real human spirit which left his body. But meanwhile his divine nature remained united with his human nature even when he was lying in the grave; and his deity never ceased to be in him, just as it was in him when he was a little child, though for a while it did not show itself as such. These are the reasons why we confess him to be true God and true man— true God in order to conquer death by his power, and true man that he might die for us in the weakness of his flesh. Summary In this letter to Timothy, Paul speaks to several key theological concepts. The first of these from today’s passage is the oneness of God. Both Old and New Testaments attest to there being only one God. This also feeds our understanding of the Trinity, that there is but one God, who is seen in the three persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Paul also speaks to Jesus’ role as mediator between God and mankind. The Son came into the world not only to bring about reconciliation but also to be our mediator with God. Dig Deeper A mediator is someone who stands in the middle. They are the go-between when two or more parties are in a dispute and seeking reconciliation. Mankind needs a mediator because our relationship with God is broken. This is the result of our sinful rebellion against the law of God. There is only one person who is perfectly situated to be this mediator, Jesus Christ. Jesus is uniquely suited to be the mediator between God and mankind because he is fully human and fully God. In today’s reading from the Belgic Confession, Article 19 rightly points out that these two natures of Christ are united even in his death. The Son has always been divine, and then a human nature was added at the incarnation. However, during his death on the cross, Jesus did not lose nor shed his human nature. When Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, this included his humanity. And still today, Jesus maintains both his divine and human nature. Having ascended to heaven, he continues to be a mediator with God on our behalf. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our triune God, who is one; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that your relationship to Him has been restored through the one mediator, who is Christ Jesus; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 2

God made Jesus just like you so that you could be made just like Him. Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV) But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 19: The Two Natures of Christ We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined together with human nature, in such a way that there are not two Sons of God, nor two persons, but two natures united in a single person, with each nature retaining its own distinct properties. Thus his divine nature has always remained uncreated, without beginning of days or end of life, filling heaven and earth. His human nature has not lost its properties but continues to have those of a creature— it has a beginning of days; it is of a finite nature and retains all that belongs to a real body. And even though he, by his resurrection, gave it immortality, that nonetheless did not change the reality of his human nature; for our salvation and resurrection depend also on the reality of his body. But these two natures are so united together in one person that they are not even separated by his death. So then, what he committed to his Father when he died was a real human spirit which left his body. But meanwhile his divine nature remained united with his human nature even when he was lying in the grave; and his deity never ceased to be in him, just as it was in him when he was a little child, though for a while it did not show itself as such. These are the reasons why we confess him to be true God and true man— true God in order to conquer death by his power, and true man that he might die for us in the weakness of his flesh. Summary Today’s scripture passage may sound familiar, that is because it was our passage almost two weeks ago. In this opening section of Galatians chapter 4, Paul speaks to our redemption and adoption. We are returning to this passage because it speaks to Christ’ human nature. Specifically, Paul writes that the Son was “born of a woman”, “born under the law”, which was “to redeem those under the law”. Being born of a woman speaks to Jesus’ human nature. The Son was sent into the world, and through the incarnation he took on a human nature. Jesus was born under the law, and while all other humans are found guilty of transgressions according to that law, Jesus alone perfectly kept the law. This is why the human nature of Jesus is so crucial for our salvation. We are guilty under the law and can only be redeemed by one who was also born under the law. Dig Deeper Jesus is fully human and fully God, and there are significant differences between these two natures. While the Son has always been divine, the human nature of Christ does have a beginning. This human nature, through the incarnation, was added to the Son the moment He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary. Being fully human means that Jesus also faced some of the same realities that we face in our humanity. Just as we must breathe air, drink water, and eat food to live, Jesus in his humanity also required these things. Our Confession speaks to the importance of this human nature, stating that “our salvation and resurrection depend also on the reality of his body.” God’s plan of salvation requires a Savior who was born under the law and who perfectly kept the law. Essentially, our redemption is dependent on a perfect human exchanging our sin for his righteousness. Since there are no perfect humans, God provided one for us by sending his Son into the world to bring about our redemption. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Son, born of a woman and under the law, to redeem us that we might receive adoption to sonship; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll remember at all times that you are an adopted son of God, and that you'll act accordingly; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 1

Discover the depth of God's love and Jesus' divine mission. John 3:16-17 (NIV) 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 19: The Two Natures of Christ We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined together with human nature, in such a way that there are not two Sons of God, nor two persons, but two natures united in a single person, with each nature retaining its own distinct properties. Thus his divine nature has always remained uncreated, without beginning of days or end of life, filling heaven and earth. His human nature has not lost its properties but continues to have those of a creature— it has a beginning of days; it is of a finite nature and retains all that belongs to a real body. And even though he, by his resurrection, gave it immortality, that nonetheless did not change the reality of his human nature; for our salvation and resurrection depend also on the reality of his body. But these two natures are so united together in one person that they are not even separated by his death. So then, what he committed to his Father when he died was a real human spirit which left his body. But meanwhile his divine nature remained united with his human nature even when he was lying in the grave; and his deity never ceased to be in him, just as it was in him when he was a little child, though for a while it did not show itself as such. These are the reasons why we confess him to be true God and true man— true God in order to conquer death by his power, and true man that he might die for us in the weakness of his flesh. Summary John 3:16 is one of the most beloved verses of the Bible. Not only are the words of John 3:16 reassuring, they also eloquently lay out the key themes of the Gospel. Because of God’s great love for us, he gave his only Son in order that we would be saved from our sin and have eternal life. Verse 17 further clarifies that the Son’s reason for coming into the world was not to condemn, but to save. In these verses Jesus is described as God’s only Son and His Son. These terms allude to the fact that although Jesus was human, there was something more to him. While He took on human flesh, Jesus still retained His divine nature. While we are considered children of God, adopted through faith in Christ, Jesus is described as God’s one and only Son. Other translations use the phrase “only begotten Son”, which speaks to Jesus being “of the same substance” as the Father. Dig Deeper The Son came into the world to save sinners. Out of God’s great love for you, Jesus, the only one capable of paying the penalty of your sin, did exactly that. No sinful human could pay the penalty for another. Jesus, the only one not stained by original sin, took on a human nature with the intent of paying that penalty on your behalf. The Son coming into the world speaks to more than Jesus being born. Coming into the world also included leaving His place on high. The Son, the second person of the Trinity, existed before the incarnation. And the Son, being divine, has always had this divine nature, even before the creation of the world. The divinity of the Son is not something given to Him, but a matter of who He is. This divine nature is eternal, without a beginning or an end. The Son of God took upon himself a human nature, which did not corrupt nor inhibit his divine nature. And as verse 17 teaches, all this was done so that the world might be saved through him. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for this tremendous gift which makes your salvation certain; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 16